Tourism statisticsCountry2026

South Korea Tourism Statistics: 16.4M Arrivals in 2024

Q: How many tourists visit South Korea?

South Korea had 16.4 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, according to UN Tourism, via Our World in Data. Domestic trips are not in that count. AirROI estimates 1,245,710 Airbnb stays in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

Q: What is the quietest month in South Korea?

February was the quietest Airbnb month in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and January ranked 11th. Stays in February were booked about 28 days ahead, against 49 days for October.

Q: How long is a typical Airbnb stay in South Korea?

A typical Airbnb stay in South Korea lasted 3.5 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 35 days ahead. That is shorter than the worldwide 5.2 nights. By month, stays ran from 3.3 nights in January to 4.6 nights in July.

South Korea recorded 16.4 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, UN Tourism reports, via Our World in Data. This counts people crossing a border, so domestic trips are not in it. AirROI estimates 1,245,710 Airbnb stays in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026, with Seoul the most booked city. The busiest month was August.

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Updated November 4, 2026

Airbnb figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026. Read the method

Estimated Airbnb nights: 4,386,228
Typical Airbnb stay: 3.5 nights
Busiest Airbnb month: August
From abroad, among guests who left a review: 57%

Key facts

South Korea Tourism Facts

Each sentence names its place, period and source, so it can be quoted alone.

Official

UN Tourism puts South Korea at 16.4 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, via Our World in Data.

Airbnb stays

AirROI puts Airbnb stays in South Korea at 1,245,710 in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in South Korea added up to 4,386,228 nights in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates a typical Airbnb stay in South Korea lasted 3.5 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 35 days ahead.

Busiest months

AirROI ranks August the busiest Airbnb month in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026, followed by October and May, with February the quietest.
AirROI estimates Airbnb in South Korea had no single high season in the 12 months to October 2026: the three busiest months were August, October and May.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in South Korea in October were booked furthest ahead, about 49 days, against 26 days for January, in the 12 months to October 2026.

Guests

AirROI estimates 57% of South Korea Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 came from abroad, led by the United States at 11% and Singapore at 6.1%.

By place

AirROI ranks South Korea first for Airbnb stays among Asia's 33 countries in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Seoul had the most Airbnb stays of the 40 towns it lists in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026, at 455,813, ahead of Jeju and Busan.

Official numbers

How Many Tourists Visit South Korea?

UN Tourism counted 16.4 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, via Our World in Data.

Official tourism figures for South Korea: what each counts, its year and its publisher
Figure	What it counts	Year	Publisher
16.4 millionInternational tourist arrivals	Trips by visitors arriving from abroad who stay at least one night, each arrival counted separately	2024	UN Tourism, via Our World in Data

Airbnb stays

Airbnb Stays in South Korea

South Korea had 48,037 Airbnb homes in the 12 months to October 2026. They took an estimated 1,245,710 stays and 4,386,228 nights. A typical stay lasted 3.5 nights and was booked about 35 days ahead, shorter than the worldwide stay of 5.2 nights. AirROI's figures cover the 129 towns it tracks in South Korea; places it does not track are not counted, so every total is a floor.

Airbnb homes: 48,037
Airbnb stays, estimate: 1,245,710
Airbnb nights, estimate: 4,386,228
Typical stay: 3.5 nights
Booked ahead: 35 days

Busiest months

When Is the Busiest Time in South Korea?

On Airbnb, August was the busiest month in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026, then October and May. February was the quietest. The busiest months do not sit together, so there is no single high season.

August ranks first, February last

Airbnb months in calendar order, 12 months to October 2026. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.

Three busiest months
Other months

From busiest to quietest: August, October, May, September, June, April, July, March, November, December, January, February.

Month by month: rank, typical stay and days booked ahead

Airbnb months in South Korea by rank, with share of nights, typical stay and days booked ahead, 12 months to October 2026
Rank	Month	Share of nights	Typical stay	Booked ahead
1	August	10.1%	3.5 nights	37 days
2	October	9.2%	4.3 nights	49 days
3	May	8.9%	3.7 nights	38 days
4	September	8.9%	3.3 nights	36 days
5	June	8.6%	4.0 nights	36 days
6	April	8.6%	4.0 nights	42 days
7	July	8.2%	4.6 nights	37 days
8	March	8.1%	4.0 nights	33 days
9	November	8.0%	3.8 nights	36 days
10	December	7.5%	3.6 nights	29 days
11	January	7.1%	3.3 nights	26 days
12	February	6.8%	3.5 nights	28 days

Share is each month's part of the year's Airbnb nights. Typical stay and days booked ahead are AirROI estimates for stays in each month.

Where guests come from

Where Do South Korea Airbnb Guests Come From?

Among South Korea Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 57% came from abroad, led by the United States at 11% and Singapore at 6.1%, AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, Seoul was the top origin city at 20%, ahead of Busan at 2%. The figures rest on 3,434,329 reviews, written over many years.

57% from abroad

Among guests who left a review, as of October 2026

Top countries abroad

Among guests who left a review

United States 11%
Singapore 6.1%
Taiwan 4.7%
China 4.2%
France 1.4%

Top origin cities

Among guests who left a review

Seoul 20%
Busan 2%
Taipei 1.8%
Incheon 1.6%
Daegu 1.3%

By town

Most Booked Towns in South Korea

Seoul, Jeju and Busan took 68% of Airbnb stays in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026. August is the busiest Airbnb month in 25 of the 40 towns, led by Seoul, and October in 10, led by Gyeongju-si. Among guests who left a review, the share from abroad across the 25 most booked towns runs from 10% in Donghae-si to 84% in Seoul.

Most Booked Towns in South Korea: Airbnb stays, nights and typical stay, 12 months to October 2026; with origin among guests who left a review
#
1	Seoul	455,813	2,279,218	5.0 nights	84%	US	August
2	Jeju	213,735	616,122	2.9 nights	57%	Singapore	August
3	Busan	173,445	449,013	2.6 nights	67%	US	August
4	Seogwipo-si	98,236	307,550	3.1 nights	62%	Singapore	August
5	Gyeongju-si	34,255	58,183	1.7 nights	55%	US	October
6	Gangneung-si	27,335	55,410	2.0 nights	21%	US	August
7	Incheon	26,893	84,268	3.1 nights	43%	US	August
8	Daegu	19,269	45,798	2.4 nights	26%	US	August
9	Jeonju-si	18,955	36,156	1.9 nights	44%	US	May
10	Sokcho-si	14,691	33,590	2.3 nights	30%	US	August
11	Yeosu-si	13,754	33,423	2.4 nights	18%	US	August
12	Daejeon	10,712	23,438	2.2 nights	16%	US	August
13	Jeju-do	9,627	23,625	2.5 nights	52%	Singapore	November
14	Suwon-si	8,652	26,679	3.1 nights	25%	US	August
15	Chuncheon-si	6,009	11,497	1.9 nights	17%	US	August
16	Gwangju	5,895	14,047	2.4 nights	23%	US	October
17	Geoje-si	5,550	12,528	2.3 nights	22%	US	August
18	Andong-si	3,778	6,948	1.8 nights	59%	France	October
19	Sibyeon-ri	3,485	8,014	2.3 nights	16%	US	August
20	Tongyeong-si	3,413	7,376	2.2 nights	28%	US	August
21	Pohang-si	3,370	7,243	2.1 nights	18%	US	August
22	Donghae-si	3,288	5,776	1.8 nights	10%	US	August
23	Goyang-si	3,019	13,025	4.3 nights	45%	US	October
24	Mokpo-si	2,940	5,345	1.8 nights	24%	US	May
25	Cheongju-si	2,730	9,259	3.4 nights	21%	US	August
26	Gunsan-si	2,573	4,592	1.8 nights	11%	US	August
27	Paju-si	2,407	4,058	1.7 nights	10%	US	October
28	Ulsan	2,386	6,421	2.7 nights	20%	US	August
29	Toseong-myeon	2,363	4,934	2.1 nights	11%	US	August
30	Guri-si	2,293	15,702	6.8 nights	62%	US	October
31	Gapyeong-gun	2,200	3,590	1.6 nights	20%	US	August
32	Boryeong-si	1,950	3,956	2.0 nights	7.3%	US	July
33	Wonju-si	1,773	4,326	2.4 nights	15%	US	October
34	Gongju-si	1,701	2,723	1.6 nights	15%	US	August
35	Suncheon-si	1,670	3,697	2.2 nights	41%	France	October
36	Pyeongtaek-si	1,545	7,426	4.8 nights	51%	US	October
37	Yangyang	1,324	3,686	2.8 nights	18%	US	July
38	Yongin-si	1,206	3,774	3.1 nights	14%	US	August
39	Samcheok-si	1,158	2,799	2.4 nights	20%	US	August
40	Anmyeon-eup	720	1,569	2.2 nights	21%	US	October

* Among guests who left a review. Stays, nights and other figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and cover Airbnb only. South Korea is the top origin in 39 of 40 towns, among guests who left a review, so this column names the top country abroad. Lists the 40 of South Korea's 129 towns with 100 or more Airbnb homes. A town with no tourism page of its own links to its Airbnb market page.

FAQ

Questions About Tourism in South Korea

How many tourists visit South Korea?

South Korea had 16.4 million international tourist arrivals in 2024, according to UN Tourism, via Our World in Data. Domestic trips are not in that count. AirROI estimates 1,245,710 Airbnb stays in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

When is high season in South Korea?

The busiest Airbnb month in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026 was August, then October and May.

What is the quietest month in South Korea?

February was the quietest Airbnb month in South Korea in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and January ranked 11th. Stays in February were booked about 28 days ahead, against 49 days for October.

How long is a typical Airbnb stay in South Korea?

A typical Airbnb stay in South Korea lasted 3.5 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 35 days ahead. That is shorter than the worldwide 5.2 nights. By month, stays ran from 3.3 nights in January to 4.6 nights in July.

Where do Airbnb guests in South Korea come from?

Of South Korea Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 57% came from abroad, AirROI estimates. The largest groups were the United States at 11% and Singapore at 6.1%. Among the same guests, the top origin city was Seoul at 20%, ahead of Busan at 2%.

What is the most booked town in South Korea on Airbnb?

Seoul was the most booked town in South Korea on Airbnb, with an estimated 455,813 stays in the 12 months to October 2026, ahead of Jeju and Busan.

Are Airbnb stays the same as tourists?

No. UN Tourism counts international tourist arrivals (16.4 million in 2024). An Airbnb stay is one booking on one platform, however many guests it holds. AirROI's 1,245,710 stays are estimates for the 12 months to October 2026.

Method

How These Numbers Are Made

Official figures come from their publishers, linked above, and were last checked in November 2026. Stays and nights are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. Nights add up each town's stays times its typical stay, across 129 towns. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 3,434,329 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. Read the method page.